The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-12-22
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Splendid Prospects OF Spokane FaIls-Its
Appearance to Visitor.
SPOKANE FALLS, W. T,
December Is 1881.

Returning from a little tr D around
Lake Pend dOreille and northern
Idaho. have stopped at this city, at
present the busiest and most talked
of of any in this section of country.
l Immediately met several Astori-
ans who are in business here. and
who are doing well. Capt. J. ID. Mer-
ryman has a fine large store here and
is evidently prosperous. ID. A. McIn-
tosh. of the leading real estate firm
Of Booge & Mcintosh Is also prosper
ing. and deservedly so. He has some
splendid property and is doing a good
business.
Spokane Falls is about as large as
Boston; it is not, however, all built
up vet. The original town site. in
which all the business and most of
the residences lie, is about a mile
and a half square, but there are so
MANY extensions and additions that
the whole country on both sides of
the Spokane river for several miles
figures as part of Spokane on the
map and looks very neat as thus dia-
grammed and plated.
In the business portion, proper,
lots are held at what appear to be
high figures. Riding around the city
this morning several lots were pointed
out to me as having been recently
sold at prices averaging Sl75 front
foot. At that figure for property
that bears about the same relation to
the business center that Trullinger's
mill does to Astoria, Spokane Falls
property doesn't look as though it
was being given away at present. L
have met and talked with a dozen
prominent men and they are all en-
thusiastic about their city; its value,
growth, permanence and advantages.
Every oDe here seems to be a COM
mittee of one on "bonm." Values of
lots, the desirability of investment,
the relative merits of the different
additions; the mines, the water power,
the agricultural country tributary,
etc, are told Is so many different
ways, and with so much emphasis
that one naturally inquiries what is it
all worth; what does 1T amount to.
With the customary grain of allow
] anu lOOhCI llOIl ndStN Oul
impartial view. L am of the opinion
that Spokane Falls has before it won
derful future. Riding from one end
to the other / have seen at least three
hundred houses ranging in price of
building from $500 to S25,000 apiece.
The majority of these were built in
the past eighteen months. Every
where is seen solid brick structures
for business, ornamental private res
licences and fine public institutions.
The people are progressive lot. The
city is on natural townsite-a peb-
bly,, gravelly plain. 1t is the natural
depot of supplies for a rich mining
country, the center of wheat belt,
comprising 10000 square miles, the
output for the timber of northern
Idaho, and has the finest waterpower
L have ever seen for practical pur-
poses, better far than Minneapolis,
being so terraced and subdivided, SO
permanent and so easily controlled, SO
well fianked by natural walls of rock,
as never TO need anything more than
guidance, as III the opinion of many
who have invested, to be unapproach-
able In commercial value.
To me the most noticeable thing
here is the spirit of the people. They
are determined to have city here,
and are showing what a determined
lot OF go-ahead people can do. They
have been Disseminated against by
the Northern Pacific Railroad Co,
III every way, but have succeeded,
and though L do not think the
city will ever be near SO large as the
most sanguine of them claim, yet it Is
evident that there will be a second
Chicago here sCme time. Next to
Astoria L know Of no city that has SO
bright future as Spokane Falls.
DIR. LOckhart, whom many Asto
rians remember, is located here, and
has made abOnt $4,000 in iudisiOus
investments.
Donald Ross, who used to occasion
ally fill the Presbyterian pulpit for the
Rev. Mr.. Milligan, is here. At break
fast at the Arlington this mourning he
told me of numerous lucky invest
ments, and subsequent stroll showed
me tract that he had bought for
SG40. He told me that he sold it last
week for $4,000. Say that the whole
thing, interest and all, cost him ST.
600: to get $4,000 is very hand
some profit.
Israel Gragg is here, in poor health,
and looking for an opportunity to In
vest.
Spokane has some unique archi-
lecture. Stained glass, Eastlake or.
namentation, Queen Anne roofs and
Gambrels on private houses, and
granite and stncco, tiles red, blue,
glazed and otherwise, on public ones.
All styles are seen. and the display
OF taste is as noticeable in the struct-
ure costing $1,000 as in many really
fine buildings costing from $4,000 to
$4,000.
South park and Irving Heights, on
the south side of the river will ap-
parently be in great favor with pur-
chasers of residence property.
There is live afternoon daily here,
The Chronicle; the morning daily. the
Rerieac, Is sleepy sort of concern.
J. K. III.